Boston Butt ????'s

SteveinTracy

doing my first Boston butt in the next couple days and had a few questions. Should I put apple juice in drip pan? Should I spray with 50/50 Apple juice/water mixture every hour? What internal temp? I love a good bark so what it the best way to get good bark? Should I wrap in foil at any point, during or after cook?

DMW

SteveinTracy said:

doing my first Boston butt in the next couple days and had a few questions. Should I put apple juice in drip pan?

No, elevate empty drip pan with spacers (foil balls, wahers, etc.

Should I spray with 50/50 Apple juice/water mixture every hour?

No

 What internal temp?

Temp is just an indicator to start checking. It will be finished around 195*-205*, depending on the butt. When it hits 195*, check it. You want it to probe throughout like warm butter. If it is bone in, the bone should wiggle free.

 I love a good bark so what it the best way to get good bark?

Let it roll and don't spray it. The rub should have a bit of sugar.

 Should I wrap in foil at any point, during or after cook?

Don't bother wrapping during the cook. If it is finished and you aren't ready to eat in the next hour, wrap in foil, then towels, and in a cooler until service time. If within an hour of service just rest it in a pan until service time and then pull.

DoubleEgger

+1 K.I.S.S.

stemc33

Just throw it in the BGE and let it do it's thing till done. You might want to raise the drip pan 1/4-1/2" from the PS to keep the drippings from scorching. 

gdenby

The only hard part of doing a butt is that traditionally the are done lo-n-slo, and that can take a long time. If you have 1.5 - 2 hours per pound, just give it a good layer of rub, thick as can be. Raised grill, indirect, dome 250. I don't use a plate setter, just a drip pan on a lower grill. Fluid in the pan only if the drippings start to burn.

Its edible at any point above 165F, but usually not pullable till at least 195, and often best around 205. I should literally start falling apart when taken off the grill.

If short on time, boost the dome temp to 300, even 350, but no higher. That can cut the cooking time in half. The bark will be good, the meat just about as tender, but overall maybe a little less smokey.

lousubcap

If you dial up the temp (into the turbo method) and your rub contains a lot of sugar it can acquire a slightly burned taste.  FYI-

jtcBoynton

I have been cooking butts around 280-290º. At this temp they take about 1 hour per pound. You can start cooking first thing in the morning and have pulled pork for dinner. I find it very civilized - no getting up in the middle of the night or trying to sleep while worrying if the egg is holding temp.  Still leaves plenty of time for adult beverages while cooking!  

Dave in Florida

I like to start at 250 and when it hits the stall I bump the temp to 300-350 to drive it home.  Has been working good so far with no complaints from anyone.

DaveRichardson

Stop and breathe.  Butts are very forgiving.  I go with a sweet rub, Sweet Rub O Mine for the crusting of the sugar.  Cook over Apple, Pecan, or Hickory smoke at 250 if you want true low and slow.... 300-350 if you want turbo.  And let it ride.

Do you have a wireless thermo to monitor temp of the meat?

Most recently, I've started injecting with apple juice prior to putting it on the egg and then once during the stall. 

It will stall.  If going 250-275, I've had stalls that went as long as 3-4 hours.  Higher cooking temps will lessen the stall.

I pulled off and FTC at 202 degrees internal temp of the butt.

Relax and let the egg do its thing!

BigGreenGiant

What is the "stall"

theyolksonyou

BigGreenGiant said:

What is the "stall"

Large hunks of fatty meat stop around 160ish and hang out in a stall while the fatty goodness renders and moisture evaporates off the surface. Can last for hours. 

DaveRichardson

Thanks, @theyolksonyou. You beat me to the answer. Or you could call it the pre-meal meat sweats because you go into a panic because something HAS to be wrong!!!  

I friggin panicked that something was wrong with my first butt cook. It took about 2-3 hours for that stall and damn near lost it. Rookie thing. 

Now, about 20 butts into my egg, I don't batt an eye. I see the temps level off on the iGrill monitor and I get curious as to how long it's going to last this time!!  I've even placed bets with myself like its a game. 

Yes, I'm strange. But I'm happy!!!

SteveinTracy

Thanks everyone. I can't wait to cook this thing. What kind of sauce do you guys like for your butts?

DaveRichardson

No sauce for me most of the time. The meat is juicy enough. I like to sprinkle some of the rub in when pulling the meat to add some additional flavor. I'll let the others eating decide if they want sauce; but I keep Sweet Baby Ray's in the house since its made just down the street!

Ladeback69

DaveRichardson said:

No sauce for me most of the time. The meat is juicy enough. I like to sprinkle some of the rub in when pulling the meat to add some additional flavor. I'll let the others eating decide if they want sauce; but I keep Sweet Baby Ray's in the house since its made just down the street!

I agree with Dave on sauce on the side, now I do try to keep a little juice to add in if it looks like it needs it , but most times it doesn't.  I like to let the putts sit out for about 15 minutes or so before I pull too.  One it lets them cool a little and two they seem juicier to me.